Turning the "Table"

Ok, blogdai has to get this off the brain once and for all. I don't know how long, politicians, pundits and media people have been using the political term to "table" in the exact opposite meaning from which the term was derived. Stop it already. It makes us all look like third-world goons. Just this week Mercantile published:

The government has tabled a motion in the parliament seeking amendment in the interim constitution to incorporate a new timeline for constituent assembly polls.

Look, by definition, to "table" a motion means to cease discussion and end further debate on an issue.

In Nepal, we seem to think it means something like dropping an idea on the table like a plate of dhal bhat so that we can adopt it.

If you want to be treated like a legitimate media or political entity in a democracy, get your terms right.

Well, that was a relief to finally get all my cards on the table. I hearby table this discussion.

-=blogdai

"Decisive" meeting this Friday?

Don't count on it. Our bungling boys of bereft babbling plan on a "decisive" meeting in Baluwater to resolve a year's worth of compound ineptness. ENOUGH already. Not only will nothing be accomplished, there most probably will not even be agreement on the topics of discussion.

This is the easiest prediction blogdai has ever made: Tomorrow's meeting will

END INCONCLUSIVELY for the average citizen desperate for leadership.

Nothing of any significance or relevance in rebuilding Nepal or caring for its people will be on the agenda. Looking at the tentative list of topics, one sees selfish, greedy and completely out of touch political posturing. It's like fighting over the deck chairs on the Titanic. Among the worthless issues for which only these clueless baboons would care if there were "decisive" action are:

1. Adding additional constituent assembly "seats" in order to accommodate proportional representation. Meaningless since elections will be postponed as long as Girija and the NC run the show. Plus, the Little Elf, Madhav Khumar Nepal has already made it his most recent shout for relevance that proportional representation would divide the country into ethnic factions. Maybe to you, Elf, but did you ever think that real, elected proportional representation might just give the Madhesis and other groups legitimate faith in the electoral system and a renewed willingness to play by the rules? Probably not, since you can't see beyond the politics of greed and self-interest.

2. Maoists demanding more important seats in congress plus a bunch of high-profile portfolios like Home, Finance and Defence along with a Deputy Prime Ministership. Basically, they are asking for the entire government of Nepal. It'll never happen. Watch Prachanda walk out and threaten a new agitation. How long are we going to nurse-maid these terrorist bums? They are a cancer to Nepal and bent on nothing short of complete communist, ideologically uncompromising rule. Thank Ian Martin for keeping them relevant this long. Wipe them out says blogdai; do it now.

3. Merger of the NA and the Maoists PLA. Laughably pathetic. Do you think the army just concluded its arms-shopping visit to India so that they could supply their future Maoist "comrades in arms" with some shiny new guns? Not a chance. That meeting in Delhi was tellling. The NA is pissed, fed-up and seeking more arms to kick some Maoist ass. Hey, we're all tired of this charade. Lock and load fellas.

blogdai is impressed with either the political stamina or outright apathy of the average Nepali, I can't tell which. How long are we going to let this continue? New leaders are everywhere. Do you need a revolution road map or something?

Get to work and get rid of these bums now. If you don't you have no right pretending to be a sovereign nation.

-=blogdai

Nepal Blogs: What's the Point?

The point is, information and ideas are spread where none had been spread before.

We see echos of our thoughts in the words of Nepal's journalists and politicians. The simple fact that there exists a body of Nepal bloggers out there gives support to all with like minded opinions and provides good argument towards those who consistently miss the point. (Do you hear me, main stream media?) AP, UPI, Reuters, Bloomberg and virtually all other relevant wire services research and check their stories by accessing related blogs.

Every thought, every word, every argument a Nepal blog puts out can be picked up by anyone in the world curious enough to Google: "Nepal blog."

Don't discount one word of what we do here at blogdai and at other sites. WE DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Over the past 2 years, blogdai's columns and comments have drawn personal e-mails from the U.S. embassy in Nepal, the Nepal Royal Palace (through I.P. back search), the U.S. State Department, the BBC, The Economist, those phony idiots at the International Crisis Group, The World Bank, the Gates Foundation, and a few cryptic messages from individuals claiming to be from various levels of Nepal's Maoist heirarchy.

blogdai (and blogdai's friendly rival: Dinesh Wagle) account for roughly 30% of all web-search traffic hits seeking Nepali chat, politics and current events. (blogrankings.com; Technorati; blogshares compiled data with a few others).

Nepal blogs are playing a large role in opening up discourse, freeing the Nepali mind to openly criticize, and introducing, if not educating Nepalis to world opinion about their country and its political status.

This is particularly important in Nepal where politicians, Kings and Maoists had, for years, relied on an insular cloak of national isolation to enact and realize policies and practices that were contrary to acceptable world norms and human rights standards.

If it were not for the issues addressed here at blogdai, I am sure some individuals in Nepal's political arena would feel hard pressed to break what would be perceived as new ideological ground. We open doors here. We introduce and discuss ideas. Politicians (trust me) read blogdai and our arguments help to inform their opinions. Outside of direct political intervention, what more could the average blog reader and poster do that could be of more value?

So, hold your head high, regulars, anons and general posters. Your words are read by more people than you realize.

Keep it comming and keep it relevant.

-=blogdai